Loki's Exile
by EnchantedRealmsFiction
Summary: A what if story. What if Odin had decided differently for Loki on his punishment and offers up a choice. A five-part story dealing with Loki living with the Avengers. Deviates from the MCU storyline a good deal. Hijinks and drama will ensue. No pairings beyond established ones. No OCs, either.
1. Part 1

Summary: A What If Story.

What if Odin had thought exile to be of some small benefit for Loki while at the same time knowing it would lead to greater consequences? What if he found a way to seal Loki's magic without doing any true harm? And what if he was a bit peeved with the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three for disobeying their king?

This is a five-part series attempt to answer that question. Not everyone will be pleased. Will eventually feature the Guardians of the Galaxy, the X-Men, and Fantastic Four. Maybe. As I currently start this piece, I'm still toying with ideas. We'll see. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the whole torture-people-to-make-them-my-children thing Thanos had going on. He didn't do it to Ronan, didn't even call Ronan his son, but to Gamora and Nebula then call them his daughters? Makes me wonder where Loki fell in all of that.

Please see the author's notes at the end of the story for an important announcement.

* * *

Odin waited at the edge of the broken Bifrost, impatient for his sons to return. The last couple of days saw him hardly able to relax. When Heimdall had approached him to tell him that Loki lived but had begun to terrorize some of the local populace on Midgard, foreboding filled his gut and his heart. He had not expected his youngest son to survive the fall, not into the Void. To learn that he had, well, the joy of it was short-lived, replaced by fear for what Loki had possibly endured and might have become in order just to survive. Not to say life couldn't survive in the Void – anything and everything was always possible and Loki had certainly just proven that – but to survive the fall was nothing short of a miracle.

Or a curse. And with a battle raging on Midgard for supremacy, Odin questioned, if only to himself, whether or not Loki's survival was a mercy for the young prince.

Along with Heimdall, Frigga, the Lady Eir, the Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three accompanied him as well as three guards and two additional healers. All of them eagerly anticipated Thor's return, expecting him to be victorious. Of them, only he, Frigga, and Eir were anxious to see Loki. Thor's victory over his younger brother would come at a great cost.

So much had gone wrong and in a short amount of time as well. There was much to consider, and Odin ticked off everything in his head.

1 – Three Jötuns broke into the vault to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters. The attempt failed, thanks to the Destroyer, but the fact they managed to get as far as they did inflamed Thor. It did not help it had been Thor's coronation day.

2 – Thor led an expedition into Jötunheim to "confront" Laufey about what had happened. Rather than leave peacefully, rather than stay in Asgård, _as he should have done in the first place_ , Thor took insult to heart the moment a Jötun called him a princess. Unacceptable, in Odin's mind, one of many reasons why he'd banished Thor in the first place and something he decided he needed to test before he took any actions against Loki's treachery in the entire affair.

3 – Something happened on Jötunheim to Loki, something to tip him off about his heritage. Calling it a catastrophe was short of an understatement.

4 – He collapsed into the Odinsleep shortly after Loki's confrontation. He hadn't meant to, either. The stress of dealing with Thor's reckless childishness, his need to recover his own strength, weighed more on him than it should have. He'd been truly unable to get his point across to Loki (not that Loki would have listened in the first place, not in the anguished rage he was in), but to collapse . . . oh, what that must have looked like to his youngest son.

5 – Loki sat upon the throne during the Odinsleep, a mentally fractured Loki at that.

6 – Sif and the Warriors Three had confronted Loki as King, had even defied him, traveling to Midgard to retrieve Thor, _in spite of what Odin had deemed necessary_ for the Crown Prince, and Loki had sent the Destroy to Midgård in order to prevent their return.

Odin scrubbed his eye. It was that last point that kept him from going any further. While it was common knowledge there was no love lost between Loki and Thor's companions, the fact the four would willingly defy Loki for something Odin himself had deemed fit to do unsettled the Allfather. The younger prince's actions after that were not excusable but might have been avoided entirely if the four of them had shown just a small amount of decency to Loki. What was about to happen next was going to be unpleasant for Loki. He was in for a world of . . . Odin didn't want to say pain but trouble hardly seemed appropriate, either. In the end, the Allfather realized both of his sons would find what he was considering to do to be most unpleasant.

'As will Sif and the Warriors Three,' he mused grimly.

A flash of light interrupted his thoughts. Two forms twisted and warped into view, a glass container held between them. Thor and Loki had finally returned.

Behind him, Sif and the Warriors Three started to move. The clinking of their weapons and armor said as much. Odin raised a hand up, stopping them. Frigga glanced at him, and he nodded. She and Eir surged forward. Loki blinked then shook his head before he glanced around. His gaze landed on Odin, and his eyes narrowed in what the Allfather could only presume to be a scowl.

"Yes, Loki, you are in Asgård," Odin said. He refrained from crossing his arms across his chest. He appeared intimidating enough. He didn't want to add to an already volatile situation. That, and he had no desire to poke his left eye out with Gungnir. "You and I, we have much to discuss, but such a conversation will have to wait."

Loki stood stiff and straight, glaring at Odin. There wasn't much else he could do, and the realization glinted in his eyes. He flinched, however, when Eir touched his shoulders and the back of his neck, a small, grey disk no bigger than a pebble at the tips of her fingers. The healer cast a quick look at Odin. He nodded once. A slight tremor coursed through Loki as Eir pressed the device against his skin. The second prince had a single moment to process what had happened, his eyes growing wide in anger and hatred, before they rolled backwards. He dropped to his knees. Fortunately, Frigga and Eir caught him to keep him from completely hitting the ground.

"Father, what . . ." Thor began.

Odin ignored him. He turned to the guards and healers.

"Take him to the healing rooms," he ordered. "Keep him restrained if necessary, but do not mishandle him. Despite his crimes, he is still a prince of Asgård, has done much good for our realm, and he will be treated as such. He also has information that could be of use to us. The threat of fear and pain will not sway him to give up what he knows. His interactions with the Midgardians have demonstrated as much."

The guards nodded and complied with his commands. They and the healers lifted Loki onto a litter, the muzzle coming off but not the manacles. Frigga and Eir glided by Odin as the healers carried Loki away. The Allfather caught a glimpse of his youngest son's face in the process. For a moment, there was total peace. Whatever Loki endured, whatever he feared, they were not there to haunt him, at least not right away. Then they were away, moving as fast as they dared towards Asgård proper.

Odin followed their progress, saying nothing, not even after his wife and the healers vanished at the end of the bridge. Already, plans for Loki's punishment formed in his mind, plans that could change depending on the type of information the healers gleaned from the younger prince and how . . . well Loki cooperated with them.

"Father?" Thor's voice broke through his thoughts, bringing Odin back to the task at hand. He faced his eldest. The Tesseract in its container remained in Thor's hands.

"The Tesseract, for the moment, shall go to Heimdall so that we can repair the Bifrost. You have done well in your task, Thor. Rest while you are still able. Norns only know once everything is repaired you won't see much of it."

Without another word, Odin strode away. His expression was as grim as Hogun's, but then many matters pressed against his thoughts with an oppressiveness he'd not encountered in a thousand years.

'And this is only just the start.'

The weight of all Nine Realms rested on his shoulders.

xXx - Loki's Exile - xXx

"I shouldn't have handed him Gungnir." It wasn't the first time Frigga had said such a thing. She wrung her hands as she paced alongside the soul forge where Loki currently lay. Every so often, her gaze darted to the readouts, and she cringed, the internal, healing signs of torture continually evident. "What was I thinking?"

"You, my Lady, were possibly thinking that your youngest possessed greater inner fortitude, as he presented to you," Eir replied. She didn't bother to look away from the readings. "You were possibly _thinking_ he was not like Thor in the least and that you were also worried about the state of the king as he lay helpless in his bed, trying to recover. You did as you have always done, my Lady. It is no good second-guessing yourself at this point. You'll only drive yourself mad."

Frigga said nothing in response. She kept wringing her hands with every pass she did by Loki's soul forge. Eir's words were also not comforting. They were platitudes and nothing more, spoke more for Loki's sake undoubtedly than anything else, and belied Eir's true feelings. Frigga made enough eye contact with the healer to know she was not happy with the current situation nor the events that led up to the current situation.

'Still, she speaks truth,' Frigga mused, pausing next to her son. 'Second-guessing myself will avail no one, especially Loki. He did make his own decisions.'

She exhaled a heavy breath. "You are correct, Eir. There is no sense in second-guessing myself. What is done, is done."

"I know I am." The healer's tone was far from smug, just neutral and efficient. "Have a seat, my Queen. Your pacing about will aid nothing."

Frigga did as Eir suggested, conjuring up a chair so she could sit next to Loki. She reached for his hand, which twitched on occasion where it lay on his chest. The room fell quiet as the healers continued their work. Every so often, Frigga glanced at their readings then back to Loki. When she did, the doubts returned to gnaw on her, but one question rose above it all.

'What happened to you in the Void, my dear, sweet son?'

xXx - Loki's Exile - xXx

Laughter filled the great feasting hall, joyous yet subdued, at least to Sif, as the celebration for Thor's triumph was in full swing. The affair was nothing like the times before when Thor returned home, victorious after some great battle. Of course, she and the Warriors Three had not accompanied him this time, and Thor's adversary had been his own brother, Loki. It was much like the last time, when they thought Loki dead after Thor's destruction of the Bifrost.

Sif searched for Thor amongst the revelers. The celebration was for him, after all, and it would be most unlike him to not be present. Odin and Frigga sat in their usual places at the head of the main table. Fandral chatted up a few of his favored ladies while Volstagg regaled an old story of a long ago battle. Hogun was nowhere in sight.

And neither was Thor. Sif frowned, and, inwardly, she seethed a little.

'No doubt he's gone to Heimdall to inquire about that mortal wench.' She took a deep breath and held it for a moment. Before Loki appeared on Midgard, it had become a nightly excursion of Thor's to stand at the edge of the broken Bifrost and ask Heimdall about that strange Midgardian woman. Sif failed to see what Thor saw in her. The mortal, this Jane Foster was no warrior. 'What is it she possesses that I do not?'

She pushed herself away from her plates and cups, of the mind to confront her friend over his pining of a woman who had probably long since forgotten who he was. As she did, a loud cheer went up, and Thor entered the feasting hall, Hogun at his side. The Crown Prince wore a big smile, if somewhat forced, upon his face. Everyone who was seated stood up and applauded him. Dozens of voices clamored for him to regale them of what happened on Midgård. Sif, too, wanted to hear of her friend's accomplishments and deeds and of how he and he alone defeated Loki. (After all, no Midgårdian could match the might of Thor and Mjölnir.)

'He must have carried the weight of the entire battle on his shoulders,' she mused. Though she and the Warriors Three asked Heimdall when they could of what was transpiring on Midgård during Thor's time there this time around, the gatekeeper had refused to say. 'Nay, not refused. Clearly said he was unable to do so by direct order of Odin. Still, it could not have been easy.'

A loud _thump_ echoed through the hall. All heads turned to Odin, who had also risen to his feet, and the room grew quiet. The Allfather beckoned for Thor to come forward, to which the God of Thunder did. Thor dropped to one knee in reverence.

"Father," he said.

"You have done well in safeguarding Midgård once more, this time from an unimaginable threat," the king intoned. "I am sure the denizens there can rest a little easier, knowing no other attacks are forthcoming."

"Thank you," Thor replied. "I would not have succeeded if not for a group of warriors known as the Avengers. They, too, aided their realm in its time of need."

Sif raised an eyebrow at this. From his initial banishment, Thor had become a little more humble, acknowledging the deeds of others, but to hear this coming from him?

''Tis the most absurd thing I have heard,' she thought with a mental shake of her head.

"Is that so?" Odin, too, raised an eyebrow at him.

"Aye," Thor confirmed. "Five warriors of considerable skills and talents. Two are of great heart and strength, one uses his wits to fight, and the other two rely on stealth and knowledge of their surroundings. Without them at my side, Midgård would have assuredly fallen."

A hushed whisper arose from those gathered. Thor pushed himself up from his position and proceeded to tell them all that it had transpired during his short time away. It was lively to say the least, and a bit shocking. Thor admitted deferring to the command of someone called Captain America, someone who he claimed to know strategy better than Thor himself. When he finished, he glanced back at Odin and Frigga.

"My only regret is that I could not stay long enough to help their repair their city," Thor said in earnest. "However, I dared not risk Loki escaping. Returning was the only option."

'Regret? Repair their city?' Sif snorted to herself. 'Nay, Thor, you wished you could have stayed for that mortal wench. That is the only thing I am thankful to Loki for, his needing to be here to face the consequences of his crimes. For surely you'd have delayed longer if you could have.'

She kept her composure, though. Far be it for anyone to call Thor out on his claims, though none probably knew about the mortal woman for whom Thor yearned.

"I see," Odin murmured, bringing Sif's attentions back to the moment. "You have done well. The loss of life on Midgård is both tragic and regrettable. Tonight, we celebrate the victory you and your Midgårdian comrades have obtained. On the morrow, we shall work towards restoring the Bifrost and inter-realm travel. You," and Odin leveled his gaze at Thor, "have more than earned this."

"I thank you, Father." Thor bowed his head and retreated to one side of the feasting hall where Fandral and Volstagg awaited him. Hogun joined them. Sif glanced down at her own meal and drink and pondered for a moment in joining them as a reminder to Thor that _she_ was still there.

And waiting for him.

'Some other time,' she decided, pushing herself away from her meal and heading out of the feasting hall. Her heart ached too much to be there.

xXx - Loki's Exile - xXx

Odin stood on the balcony of his chambers, his hands clasped behind his back. The last three days had dawned golden and bright in Asgård, as they had always done before in the past, but he took little notice of his kingdom's enchantments. At least, on this day, he didn't.

The last three days has also been quite trying for the Allfather. Eir had delivered her results on Loki's condition, and her words did nothing to alleviate Odin's anxieties where his youngest was concerned. Torture, mild hints of mind control, and something else she could not quite place. According to the guards, Loki spat out venomous remarks whenever someone tried to approach him, regarding everyone as though he were nothing more than a caged, feral animal. Only Frigga dared to approach him, and Thor had not even bothered to visit his brother. From what he noticed in his eldest when they talked, Thor pretended as if he had no brother any longer, and Odin worried such was an effect coming from Sif and the Warriors Three.

'Today is the day,' he mused. 'Today, I make my decision. And none shall like the verdict.'

He gazed out at the rising sun for a moment longer then turned and strode towards the door. He'd put off making this decision long enough.

Outside his chambers, he paused by two of the guards. The men bowed and saluted him.

"At ease," Odin murmured. "I have a task for you. For both of you."

"What is it, my king?"

"Seek out Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three. Tell them that I wish to speak with them and that they are to be in the throne room the hour before the noon meal," he said to Sigurd, the guard on his right. "Heimdall as well. I suspect it will take you some time to accomplish this, especially if Thor is _not_ with Sif and the Warriors Three."

The guard nodded sharply and said, "Of course, my liege."

To Tyr, the guard on his left and one of his most trusted generals, Odin murmured, "Go to the prison and inform the guards there I will be arriving within the hour to speak with Loki. They are to prepare him to bring him to the throne room for his sentencing."

"A public sentencing?" Tyr raised an eyebrow at him.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Odin replied. His expression was grim. "But only because Loki's crimes have been made more public. Beyond that, all will only know is that he has been sentenced. The details will be made known only to a select few under penalty of treason."

The general's eyebrow rose even higher but he commented no further. Both guards saluted him then went off to carry out their appointed tasks. Odin watched them go then headed for the healing rooms to speak with Eir once more.

'This will earn me no love amongst seidr masters,' he mused darkly. 'But I would rather it be this way to gain me back my son than to lose him, and all of Asgård, forever.'

He walked with a calm, slow, and steady gait. Odin was not anxious for this nor did he wish to delay his meeting with Loki any further. Frigga greeted him outside the healing rooms, her expression one of barely restrained fury.

'Eir must have told her what I asked her to do,' he thought.

"Are you really going to do this to him?" she asked, her voice a hiss.

"Not against his will, no," Odin replied. "Unlike Thor, he will have a say in what his punishment will be. It may not come to this."

"It may not?" Frigga's eyes flashed and glittered. "It may not? Do you even know your son at all?"

"I know him better than he thinks I do," Odin replied in a gentle tone. He had to refrain from snapping at his wife. While king he might be, he valued his wife's opinions and insights more than any in all of Asgård. If he did not speak calmly with her, he might find himself sleeping in separate bedchambers. Indefinitely. "When I see him, and I _will_ see him within the hour, he will do what he can to try and twist my words, to raise my ire, and to get me to shout at him. He will push for death. He thinks I have favored Thor all these years and never once acknowledged what he has done for the good of Asgård. I have taken all of that into consideration when trying to decide what his punishment should be. Humility is not a lesson Loki needs to learn."

'And what lesson do you think it is he should learn?"

"To love," Odin replied. "To remember what it is like to laugh. To remember that his actions have consequences. To understand he is not a monster, like he has claimed. My wife, I seek to save our son. I also admit to wanting to protect the Nine from his benefactor. The attack on Midgård, I fear, will pale in comparison if Loki remains as he is now."

"But this . . ."

"Is not going to be permanent," he assured her. "I am not cruel, Frigga. I chose him to be our son. I did not have to do that."

"I know." A few tears rolled down her cheek. "It is just . . . we only got him back."

Odin embraced his wife, her heartbreak echoing within him.

"Nothing has been decided as of yet, my queen," he whispered in her ear. "Allow me to speak with the Lady Eir on her progress. Then I shall seek out Loki. Only then will we know what his fate will truly be."

"I do not like this," Frigga said, her voice thick with her desperation and misery. She turned her gaze away from him.

"I do not expect you to," Odin said, releasing her. "But there is something else at play here, something that is shrouded from my vision but not Loki's memories. What I have in mind will help to restore him, not destroy him. Please. Trust me on this."

Frigga hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"I do. I do trust you. I just wish there was another way."

"As do I," he replied. He entered the healing rooms. Eir waited for him just inside.

"Just so you know," she began before he could even ask her anything, "I am in agreement with the queen over this. There is still the potential for much to go wrong."

"Only if Loki were to remain in Asgård, which he will not if this is the course of action to be taken," Odin replied. "I take it you have filled my request."

"Indeed," the chief healer said, her expression grim. "I have."

"Show me."

She led him to a side room. When he saw what he needed to, he nodded.

"Wait for my return," he instructed. "I do not expect this to be easy, not where Loki is concerned. As I said to Frigga, we may not even need what I've asked of you. Just keep it safe in the meantime. While I do not believe anyone aside from you, I, and the queen know of this, you will still have my permission to do serious harm to anyone who would try to steal these. I will not allow anyone to be subjected unwillingly to this. I will let you know what the decision before the hour is over."

"As you wish, my liege." Eir's eyes glinted with a small hint of satisfaction at his commands.

It did not take long for Odin to reach the prisons where Loki was kept, even less to reach his son's cell. As he expected, Loki paced from corner to corner. Nothing adorned the enclosure, nothing of comfort or of entertainment value. His youngest was, without a doubt, bored beyond most anyone's imagination.

Loki stopped almost as soon as Odin arrived. His posture stiffened, and he kept his hands clenched and at his sides. Resignation and relief flickered in his eyes.

"You've decided," Loki said, his voice flat.

"Can I not come to see my son?" Odin asked.

"If your son were here, I would say yes," came the answer. "Given that I am not . . ."

"Who has said you are not my son?" He raised an eyebrow at Loki. "As far as I am aware, I have not once disowned you as my child. If anyone has said otherwise, please, say who has said as much so that I might correct them on the error of their ways."

He waited for the severity of his words to weigh in on Loki. When his youngest's eyes widened, Odin nodded.

"I thought so," he said.

"It still does not change that you have reached a decision in regards to what my punishment is to be," Loki retorted. "Otherwise, you would not be here, _Allfather_."

"I have reached a few decisions, yes," he concurred. "Such is the way of being a king. You were on the throne for three days. You know this."

"And what have you decided in regards to me, oh mighty _Odin_?" Loki asked, a bitter laugh escaping him. "Torture? Enslavement? Death? Not a one of those is beneath you."

Odin pressed his hand against the wall and entered the cell. With a wave of his hand, the glowing magic fields turned into solid black stone. Loki maintained a healthy and respective distance from him.

"I have decided," he drawled out, "to offer you a choice."

"A choice."

"Yes. A choice, something not even Thor got when I banished him for disobeying my express commands." Odin watched his son for a moment the continued. "You have but two options before you, boy. I suggest you weigh them carefully because they are the _only_ ones you have. Death, torture, and enslavement are _not_ on this list."

"What?"

"You can either remain here, on Asgård, and in the prisons. You will have no contact from the outside world nor with anyone from the royal family. You will have nothing in which to ease your boredom. No books. No conversations with anyone. The guards will be instructed to ignore you. If I must, I will make it so they can _not_ hear you."

Loki paled as Odin spoked. The Allfather nodded, if only to himself. He had his son's attention now.

"And . . . and what is the other?" he asked, his voice cracking a little.

"Banishment," Odin answered. "To Midgård. Your powers will be bound within you, sealed away. You will have enough of your magic to keep you healthy and able to heal from injury. Beyond that, you will be as mortal as the Midgårdians."

"And for how long will this . . . banishment last?" Loki said after several long moments.

"As with Thor, that will depend on you," Odin replied.

"And how precisely will you be binding my powers?" A flash of fear appeared in Loki's eyes. "That is, _if_ I were to agree to this?"

"In a way that you would not feel any pain," he answered. "Despite what you may think, Loki, you _are_ my son. I did not have to keep you nor did I have to take you in. I _chose_ to do so. And I _chose_ to abandon my plans for you a long, long time ago."

"I do not believe you."

"You do not have to," Odin said. "Your belief does not make my words any less true. You have done much good for this realm. I will not ignore such things in favor of your misdeeds. To do so would be unwise."

Loki turned away from him.

"These are hardly choices, Allfather."

"They are what you have before you."

They stood in silence for several long moments. Odin could only imagine the expressions playing out across Loki's face as he considered his two options. Banishment with his powers bound away from him. Imprisonment. Neither were ideal for him, but then Odin understood as much when trying to determine the best course of action to take.

" _If_ ," Loki broke the silence, "if I chose banishment, the Midgårdians will not be happy to see me."

"I imagine they would not be."

"Why there?"

"Why not?" Odin shot back. "Though Midgård is not Asgård nor Alfheim, there is still much for you to do and to learn there. I do not expect you to be half as bored there as you would be _here_."

"Bored?" Loki faced him, his expression one of surprise.

"What?" Odin allowed himself a bit of a smile. "You thought I did not know you well enough when I weighed all of the options for punishment? Whatever happened after you fell into the Void, you'd be seeking death. I will not do that to your mother nor to myself. That left me with either locking you away with nothing for you to do ever or banishment, in which you could still cause some amount of trouble with your magic. I _know_ you, Loki. You do not like to be confined. If you would have won on Midgård, you'd have abdicated your throne within a week. You're far too curious for your own good at time. Is there anything else you'd like for me to tell you about yourself? Or would you rather try to deny that what I've laid out is fitting for one such as yourself?"

Loki said nothing. If anything, he stood still, his shoulders stiff and his expression now guarded. Odin nodded.

"I thought as much," he murmured. "Those are your options, Loki. You can either be banished to Midgård, to allow your curiosity to be slaked but your magic bound; or to remain here, with no one to keep you company. I will give you some time to consider."

He turned away. With a wave of his hand, the walls became their golden glowing fields once more. Odin had just reached the barrier when Loki said, "Wait . . ."

"Yes, Loki?"

"I've . . . I've decided."

"Have you now?" Odin glanced over his left shoulder.

Loki remained in his previous place but fidgeted. He looked so uncertain.

"Yes." He nodded once. "I have."

"I see. Are you certain of your decision?"

"You hardly leave me any choice, _Allfather_."

"I suppose I haven't," Odin conceded. "Still, you've come to a decision rather quickly . . ."

"I've still decided." His tone wavered only a fraction but yet was somehow determined and filled with strength.

"Very well then." Odin faced him. "What have you decided?"

xXx - Loki's Exile - xXx

"You can change your mind at any time, you know," Eir told him. "You do not have to do this."

"Does Odin agree with this sentiment?" Loki asked. Chains bound his wrists and his ankles and were cuffed to his neck and waist. Four guards surrounded him.

"He asked that something be prepared," the healer said. "He also has given explicit instructions on what I should do in the event you change your mind at the last minute. However, once the process begins, there will be no going back."

Loki stared at something other than the healer and the five objects behind her. As much as he loathed the idea of losing his magic, the very core of himself, he detested the idea of confinement even more. And Odin had assured him the binding was, indeed, just that: a binding and not an attempt at ripping his magic away from him.

"Do you think this merciful, healer?"

"I think it to be a kinder option, yes, one I do not agree with, my prince, but kind all the same," she answered. "Any seidr master will tell you the same."

Silence fell over the healing rooms. Loki stared at the same fixed point, his heartbeat growing heavier and heavier with each passing moment. He was delaying, to be certain, but he'd made his decision as well.

"Let's get this over with."

xXx - Loki's Exile - xXx

Thor waited in the throne room along with Sif and the Warriors Three. The hour was halfway to noon, and yet his father had not appeared. The desire to fidget, if only a little bit, tickled at him. He had no idea as to why the Allfather summoned him and his fellow brothers and sister in arms. If anything, since his arrival with Loki back to Asgård, Odin had been somewhat distant with him. Thor wasn't sure what to make of such a thing, and a bad, sinking feeling nagged at the pit of his stomach.

'I suppose,' he thought to himself, 'this is where I find out what is wrong.'

The throne room doors swinging open prevented him from musing any further about his father's behavior, and Odin entered. The bad feeling, however, did not leave him. If anything, it only increased.

Behind Odin were four guards. Between the four guards was Loki. The trickster walked slowly, burdened by the weight of the chains he bore, but the four men guiding him made no efforts to speed him along. If anything, they appeared relaxed and rather patient. Then Thor got a good look at Loki's face.

The trickster's complexion was pale, paler than normal, as if he'd become sick since arriving back to Asgård. Thor averted his gaze. Whatever befell Loki upon returning, the trickster deserved. He'd shown no mercy to anyone, after all, and he was not about to receive any, least of all from Thor. He and his friends quickly knelt in respect to the Allfather, who then beckoned for them to rise.

"Good, you're all here," Odin said, walking right by them. "I am sure you're wondering why I have summoned you here."

"You could say that, Father," Thor replied. The clanking of Loki's chains distracted him some.

"Quite out of the blue, no less."

"Given we are here, along with Loki, I feel safe to say we are to learn of his punishment," Thor ventured. "Is that not so, Father?"

"Aye," Odin agreed, taking his place upon the throne. "His punishment as well as that for the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three."

"What?"

Thor blinked then shook his head. Surely, he had not heard his father correctly. 'What have Sif and the Warriors Three done to warrant any type of punishment from Father?'

"You heard quite correctly." Odin's gaze hardened. "Mind you, it is nothing recent but an issue that has plagued me since I was made aware of it. Sif. Fandral. Volstagg. Hogun. Stand before me and hear of your crimes."

The four warriors complied, each casting each other a confused glance. Thor took a step forward.

"Father, they have done no wrong."

"Ah, but they have, Thor. Take your place next to your brother, and you will learn." Odin's tone indicated he was not about to be argued with so Thor stepped back, helpless in confusion. "Sif and the Warriors Three, do you deny seeking me out to have Thor reinstated after his banishment?"

"We did," Sif replied. "But only because he was wrongly banished!"

"And how would you know that, Lady Sif?" Odin raised an eyebrow at her. "What made you come to such a conclusion?"

"Loki admitted he told the guard where we were heading," she stammered a bit. "That he hadn't expected you to banish him. When I asked if he would speak to you about bringing Thor back, he refused. Then he accused Thor, his own brother, of being reckless and arrogant."

"I see. So you thought you would try to sway me yourselves, unaware of the conversation that took place between my son and myself moments before I banished him." The Allfather's eye glittered. "A conversation that would not have happened if he had not violated the treaty I had in place with Laufey."

"Loki tricked him into going to Jötunheim," Sif blurted out. "There is no other . . ."

"Is it a habit of yours and the Warriors Three to blame all of your bad decisions on Loki?" The temperature in the throne room dropped. Odin's gaze turned to Thor. "Did your brother convince you to go to Jötunheim?"

Thor opened his mouth to say yes, that Loki had . . . but then the conversation played itself over in his head. How Loki had said he thought that Thor was right but that he couldn't do anything without defying Odin. He shook his head.

"No," Thor murmured. "He did not."

"I see. What _did_ he say to you?" Odin's hard glare leveled on him.

"He said," and Thor sighed, "he thought I was right about everything about the Jötuns breaking into the vault and about Laufey. He also told me there was nothing I could without defying you."

"And so you chose to defy me anyway. In doing so, you broke the treaty I had with Laufey, endangered the lives of your friends _and_ your brother, and ultimately shattered the peace we'd experienced for the last thousand years."

"Yes." Thor glanced away.

"If Loki hadn't," Sif began.

"If Loki what?" Odin demanded. "He simply told Thor what he wanted to hear. Did you not, Loki?"

"I did," Loki answered, his voice more a moan than anything else.

A surge of betrayal rose up within Thor. His brother had lied to him, played him for a fool, and ultimately got him banished. He whirled to face the trickster.

"You swore to me you'd never tell me what I wanted to hear," he said in a low, dangerous voice.

"And you swore you'd listen," Loki shot back, rage filling his eyes. "But, oh no, no one can have that, can they? Don't' listen to Loki, Thor. He's only jealous of you, Thor. What does he know?"

Thor clenched his hands and resisted the urge to walk over and punch Loki in the face.

"That is enough," Odin said, his voice quiet. "Sif, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, you thought you knew better how to handle my son than I could. You broke oaths and traveled to Midgård to bring him back, despite the fact I had stripped him of his powers and rendered him mortal. Do you deny this?"

"I do not," Sif answered. The Warriors Three echoed their consent. "Given the chance, I would do it again."

"And, in doing so, you would not only defy Loki as your king but me," Odin said. "You would bring Thor back here, where he would be _unable_ to defend himself against any attack. Is that not true?"

"Allfather . . ."

"For all of the praise you have lauded upon me as a warrior, you forget that I am also a seidr master, a master of magic who outstrips even Loki's abilities. No." Odin shook his head. "I have heard enough. You are guilty of defying not only Loki when he was king but me while I was in the Odinsleep."

"Loki tried . . ."

"Loki tried nothing!" Odin slammed Gungnir down, his voice echoing throughout the throne room. Sif and the Warriors Three flinched, as did Thor. "While his actions as acting king were reprehensible, he was still the legitimate acting king of Asgård. You had no right to question his authority or to demand of him something he could not have done nor would I have allowed him to do. Your loyalties are to Asgård, not to one given member of the royal family."

"Father, that is the past," Thor interjected.

"It is the past, but given that they committed treason not once but twice, it leaves me to question their loyalty," Odin declared. "One would have thought your misadventures in Jötunheim would have taught you a thing or two about committing treason. The fact that only Thor received any punishment at all should have been your first indication. Nay, I will not ignore these transgressions. No one is above the law of these lands, not even Asgård's princes."

"And what is to be our punishment, your majesty?" Fandral asked. Of them, he, to Thor, appeared the most resigned and the most . . . agreeable? Thor tilted his head at his friend.

'Surely he does not agree with what Father is saying?'

"The four of you are demoted of your ranks until such a time you can prove yourselves worthy of them again. To do that, you will accompany Thor and Loki back to Midgård. If I have need of you on other realms, rest assured, you will be recalled back to fight where I need you."

"Midgård?" Thor started forward, alarmed. "Father, the mortals will not be so welcoming of Loki. With his magic, he can . . ."

"His powers are bound. He will pose no threat to them," Odin declared. "Worry not, Thor Odinsson. I will be accompanying you to Midgård and explain the situation to whoever I must. Gather what you wish to take with you. The Bifrost has been restored. We leave within the hour."

xXx - Loki's Exile - xXX

This was not what he was expecting.

To say that Steve was surprised to see Thor and Loki back on Earth was putting it somewhat mildly. To see them with five other Asgårdians, one of whom declared himself to be Thor and Loki's father, well that . . . that was shocking beyond comprehension. One moment, Stark Tower's roof was free of people. In the next, in a display of multi-colored light, the seven of them appeared.

Now Thor and Loki's father, Odin, spoke with Nick Fury about why they were on Earth in a private room not far from the main living area. The rest of the Avengers were assembled, each glaring at Loki, who did not seem to notice them. If anything, the former would-be tyrant lay curled up in a ball, his face pale and somewhat sickly.

"So, Point Break," Tony said, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "care to share what's going on?"

"It's a long story, my friends."

"Great," Tony replied, drawing the word out. "Jarvis, get the coffee to brewing. We're going to be here a while."

" _As you wish, sir."_

"While we wait, spill it," Clint said. "What's going on? Why is he back here?"

"It is part of my punishment," Loki muttered. "I," and he sighed with a grimace, his arms wrapping tighter around his stomach, "am currently banished."

* * *

Whew! Here we are at the end! The chapters are going to be on the long side. Like I said above, five parts. I wanted to get everyone back on Earth.

In the next chapter, Loki comes to a few more decisions about his stay on Midgård and discovers _The Mask_. Pranks may or may not ensue. Chaos is the norm for these people.

On a more, er, professional side, I'll be hosting a meet-and-greet in the Tulsa area. If you're in the area and are interested in meeting up with me, please PM me to let me know. The date is for June 28th, and I'll be releasing my fourth original story called Sigyn's Flowers on the same day!

Hope you've enjoyed the story so far! More is coming!


	2. Part 2

Disclaimer that I forgot to post in the previous chapter: I do not own the Avengers or the characters within. They belong to Marvel. I do not profit financially from writing this story.

See the end for more author's notes.

* * *

Odin gazed at the dark-skinned, one-eyed man sitting across him, and he did so with patience, more patience than what people presumed he possessed. The man, Nick Fury, rubbed his forehead. Behind him were the images of a handful of people, those Nick referred to as the World Security Council, their presences possible due to something called video-conferencing despite being in different locations in the world. For Odin, it was no different than using seidr and mirrors to communicate with Alfheim and Vanaheim, though he did give the humans credit for coming up with something that required their own ingenuity and not seidr.

"You're not giving us much of a choice here, are you?" Nick Fury accused, finally raising his head and not-quite glaring at Odin.

"You always have a choice. If you do not wish for Loki to remain here, simply say as much, and I will find another realm to house him. However, I think having him here will be as much to your benefit as it will be for his. There is much about Loki's attack on Midgard that remains unanswered," he replied calmly. He folded his hands in front of him. "The Chitauri are not from any known Realm and were, in fact, believed to eradicated until most recently. _They_ would have killed my son before he even had a chance to open his mouth to sway them to his side, or so the legends go. Someone else was behind the scenes. I'd like to know who."

"And your son is the only one who can tell us that," Nick finished. "He wasn't so keen on doing that the last time he was here. If anything, he thought it more amusing to insult us."

"A fact I found interesting and puzzling all the same," Odin remarked.

"Any theories on to why that might be?" he asked. "Aside from the possibility your son is a psychopath?"

"A few, yes," Odin replied. "However, that is not for me to say but for you and your human warriors to discover. It is best if I leave you with a blank slate, as it were. You will find a certain amount of predictability to Loki. One of which is he will expect you to at least try and torture him for information."

"Something you've made quite clear we can't do while he's here or we'll have you breathing down our necks."

"Loki is vulnerable. I'd rather not see it be taken advantage of," Odin replied. "I trust we are in agreement on that."

"Considering I don't want another attack on my planet?" Nick narrowed his good eye. "We are. I know from the last time, you sent Thor here to learn a lesson or two. Care to tell me what you want your youngest to learn?"

"That is for you to learn as well, Director," Odin answered. "If Loki were to learn of it, he'd fight you – all of you – every step of the way, and that would be rather . . . catastrophic for all involved."

"Like how catastrophic?"

"Like your Avengers being torn apart before they can truly begin as a team," he said. He rose to his feet. "One of Loki's gifts is that he is perceptive. Extremely so. On Asgård, his skills are not as valued as Thor and his friends' are, at least not on the battlefield. Even some of my courtesans frown upon Loki's skill for wordplay and political intrigue. On your planet, however, he'd be more than capable as a politician or diplomat, especially in your current times."

"That silver-tongued, huh?"

"He'd put many of your world leaders to shame. If he'd wanted to, Director, he could have taken over your world without even firing a shot. He can either prey upon your weaknesses and lay them bare or prey upon your greatest desires and deliver them to you . . . or at least he could when he still possessed his magic. I say this not to deter you from interacting with him or acting as if you must play nice with him all the time. Far from it."

"Then what is it?" the holographic woman asked.

"Words of caution. You will not be able to fool him. It would be best if you do not even try."

"You realize we will not be able to trust him. He is known on our world as the God of Lies, after all."

"A title that you're applying only one way." To this, Odin smirked, if only a little. "Not only is he capable of weaving a fantastic lie but usually very adept at detecting them as well. Trying to deceive him is unwise. If you succeed and he discovers otherwise later, you will have an enemy on your hands you will not be able to counter." His smirk fell away to sadness. "It is best to try and not trick Loki. Though I have bound away most of his magic, he will still be as perceptive as ever. That is something I cannot, and will not, take from him, not when it is a crucial part of who he is."

"And how much of Loki's magic is actually bound away?" the director asked. "You said most. I'd like to know how much trouble we can expect from Loki."

"He is unable to cast any illusions or to use his magic for travel. Indeed, the most his magic will do for him will be to aid him should he become injured somehow. Beyond that, he is unable to cause any trouble with it. Though he did not see me, I was there when the process was carried out. He will not even be able to shapeshift. As for how much trouble to expect from Loki, you can expect all kinds of it. Loki is of a sharp intelligence and one that becomes easily bored."

"Wonderful," the man said in a dry tone. "And you want him living with Stark? That's a disaster waiting to happen."

" _That_ ," Odin said, rising to his feet. He leveled his gaze at the humans hidden away safely in their homes, or so they believed, "will depend entirely on how you treat Loki. Now, if you will excuse me, I would like to see to my sons one more time before I depart for Asgård."

"There is one more question we have," the woman on the council spoke up.

"And that is?"

"How long will Loki's powers be contained?" she asked. "Our reports say he is a master of magic. It was recorded by a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who spoke with someone known as Hogun. How do we know he can't undo whatever is binding his powers?"

"His powers will be bound for as long as they need to be," Odin replied, thinking of the potions Eir was now crafting to counter the first set. He raised a hand when they started to open their mouths to speak. "I realize that is not a satisfactory assurance for you, but it is not a casting that was placed upon him. It is not something he can unravel if left to his own devices. The length of Loki's banishment, much like Thor's, is entirely up to him and how quickly he learns what I need for him to learn. The only ones who can undo the effects are safe in Asgård and shall remain there. Not even Loki has learned this particular bit of crafting. It is not something any seidr master wants to consider. Ever. Their magic is the very core of who they are and to restrict it in another is nigh unthinkable. To do so against a seidr master's will is a crime unto itself. As it is, he wouldn't even know where to start, not knowing which ingredients were used and to find their counter agents. Loki is not the only master of seidr in Asgård. He is barely over a thousand years old. There is still much he needs to learn, despite his dedication."

"What if he does and you just don't know it?" Nick asked.

Odin paused. It _was_ likely Loki knew how to craft the particular potion used to render him mortal or at least some variant of it. Each realm possessed their own formulas and such for casting and potion brewing, and his youngest had often gallivanted about with Thor and his companions.

"If he does, he would need to know which variant was used, as I said before," he finally replied. "Even if he did, some of the components are not available on Midgård. A half-formed potion or spell is more dangerous than having the complete one on hand. Loki, as a magic user, poses no threat."

"But he can still fight."

"Simply because our allies do not condone the binding of a seidr master does not mean our enemies feel the same way. I do believe there are tactics your enemies would use to extract information that you would protest against." Odin leveled an even stare at the director. "Also, bear in mind, Loki is a prince of Asgård and a moving target for any political enemy of mine. Knowing how to fight in the event he cannot reach his seidr, his magic, if you will, is crucial for his survival. Or do you often send your warriors into battle undertrained?"

"Point taken," Nick Fury murmured. He turned to face the screens. "Is there anything else we would like to ask?"

A glance around then the men and woman shook their heads. The director turned back to Odin.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with us," he said. "It is my understanding that Sif and the Warriors Three are to remain as well, bodyguards of sorts for both of your sons. They will be recalled back as you have need of them, including Thor."

"That is correct." Odin nodded. He inclined his head towards the director. "I thank you for hearing me out on this matter and for agreeing to shelter Loki on your realm. It is something I realize is not easy an easy task to be asking. Consider this the first part of reparations for your world on Asgård's part. There will be further compensation. You have my word on that."

Without waiting for any further responses, Odin left the room. Outside stood Thor, his arms folded across his chest and a troubled expression on his face.

"Father," his son greeted.

"Thor," Odin replied.

"I would like to accompany you to the roof, if I may," Thor said.

"Of course. I would like to see to your brother before I leave, though." They headed for the elevator leading to the lower and upper levels, though where these Avengers and Loki were at, he didn't know. From what Odin understood, despite the fighting that surrounded the building, owned by the man Thor referred to as the Man of Iron, the tower sustained very little damage in the invasion attempt. Odin made a note to personally speak to the man about what he would need in order to repair the structure.

"You're being quite lenient with Loki," Thor commented. He kept his gaze straight ahead of them.

"Am I?" Odin asked, his tone light. He cocked his head to one side.

"Father, he insults you every chance he gets. He is no better than I was when you banished me." Thor clenched his hands. "I do not understand why. The moment I called you an old man and a fool, you were immediately disappointed and more than ready to cast me out. You _did_ cast me out. I . . ."

"I cast you out because of how far you'd fallen in your arrogance," Odin said. "You were so eager for a fight, to defend your wounded pride, that you were willing to endanger the very people you were swearing to protect hours before, including your closest friends and your brother. Only your pride was hurt that day, boy."

"But Loki . . ."

Odin sighed.

"Loki is not reacting out of a place of foolish, arrogant pride. Do you not understand, Thor? _Your_ actions on Jötunheim have had consequences, not just for you but your brother and your friends as well. Sif and the Warriors Three did not have to accompany you, but they did. They can say there was no stopping you, and perhaps they are right in a twisted way. There was no stopping you in your thirst for revenge, but they chose poorly when it came to accompanying you." Odin paused. His bones ached with weariness. He was due for the Odinsleep soon, and he wondered how he was going to manage it with both of his sons on Midgård. "The consequences for Loki have run much, much deeper, or did you never stop to ask _how_ he managed to find out about his heritage?"

Thor started to say something, but no words came forth. They reached the silver doors, and he hit the button with the arrow pointing down. Inside, Thor pressed another button with a number on it. Odin gazed about the contraption, marveling how far along humans had come since such lifts were invented. The last time he'd encountered one, the ride was not nearly as smooth nor as safe.

"It was not the way I wished for the truth to come out," Odin muttered. "Your brother holds grudges. He clings to them as if his life depends on them. Where you were lashing out in pride and arrogance, _he_ is lashing out in pain and betrayal, the very _last_ things I ever wanted to do to him."

"So you put up with his insults. Father, that is . . ."

"Absurd? Perhaps." The doors slid open and revealed another corridor. Muffled voices could be heard behind one of the doors. Odin offered Thor a wry grin. "Though, to be fair to Loki, he has yet to call me an old man and a fool in any of our encounters or for any of my decisions."

The chatter in the room ceased when the two of them entered. All but Loki glanced in their direction. Loki kept his gaze steadfastly on his hands.

For the most part, the majority of the mortals appeared most displeased. One man kept shooting heated glares in Loki's direction. Odin surmised him to be Clint Barton. Loki had much to atone for, and the journey to get him there was going to be long. He crossed the distance between him and his youngest, laying one hand on Loki's shoulder and the other grasping his hand. He pressed a flat, smooth stone into Loki's hand. At the confused and wary glance, Odin offered a faint smile and leaned in close.

"In case you wish to speak with your mother," he murmured. "I know she will worry, and she most certainly will not forgive me if I do not provide you with a means to keep her apprised of your doings beyond Heimdall's observances."

Loki kept a wary eye on him but nodded. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Odin nodded once in return.

'If the Midgardians can get Loki to relax and earn his trust, perhaps he will feel safe enough to confide in his mother once more,' Odin mused. 'And it's going to be such a long journey. For all of them.'

He straightened then turned his attention to the man scowling at his youngest.

"You are the archer, yes?" he asked.

"Yeah," came the wary response. The man's eyes narrowed just a little in suspicion. To his answer, Odin nodded.

"I thought as much," he said.

"I suppose you want me to play nice?" the man asked, his scowl still in place. "Pretend that what he did to me never happened?"

"No," Odin said. "I do not wish for you to pretend that something did not happen. I simply ask for your empathy in this situation, as you have mine. What my son did to you is reprehensible and is something he needs to atone for. Though he is far older than you are, he is still quite young amongst our people and has much to learn. That is why I also wish for you to be his handler, as your people say."

"What?"

The archer was not alone in his response. All of the humans, along with Thor, stated the question in surprise.

"I'm sorry," the archer shook his head. "You want _me_ to be Loki's _handler_? Why?"

"Why not?" Odin asked. "You did the same for another in this room, according to what our watchman has told me. You showed mercy and compassion when others called for a different outcome. For that, you have a most loyal ally in the woman. That is quite commendable. Of everyone here, I can think of no one better to keep an eye on my son because of your charity and compassion."

He and the archer held each other's gazes for a few moments, Odin conveying through his one eye he knew precisely everything about the man, including his family hidden away, and how he knew Barton understood what it was like to be a parent and to not always be there all the time. Then the man nodded.

"Okay then," Barton said. "I'll be his handler. Just don't expect me to go easy on him because he's a prince."

"I would not dream of asking you such a thing," Odin answered. He then sought out the other human he wished to speak with. "Tony Stark?"

"Uh, that would be me." A man with a blue light glowing from his chest stepped forward. He radiated a bit of anxiety but more than enough confidence to remain his cocky self. "I don't . . ."

"If you would walk with me and Thor to the roof, I would appreciate it," Odin said. "There is something I would like to discuss with you as well, but I must not tarry here much longer. There is much I need to do upon returning to Asgård."

"Oh. Sure," the man said. "Not sure what you'd walk to talk to me about but okay. Right this way . . ."

Odin followed him out of the room, Thor at his side. The three of them traveled the short distance back to the elevator.

"I can't promise I'll play nice with your son," Stark said once the elevator doors slid shut. "I don't think anyone can."

"Then you play into Loki's hands," Odin murmured, "but that is not why I wish to speak with you. Rather, it is the matter of payment for the damages done to your building."

"Payment?" The man blinked. "Why would I need payment from you?"

His response was both arrogant and confused at the same time. Odin understood, in part, why the man might be confused. According to Thor and Heimdall, Tony Stark possessed quite a bit of wealth, and it only continued to increase with the choices the mortal kept making. Someone offering him money had to be both ludicrous and insulting.

"Because it is our way," Odin answered. "Weregild. My son caused damage to your property and to the entire city."

"Shouldn't that be up to Loki to do?" Thor interjected.

"Loki's weregild is in another form," Odin answered mildly. "Now, Man of Iron, let's talk. How much do you require?"

"I'm not too worried about my tower," Stark said in a dazed tone. "There were other places that got it worse than here. I mean . . . you know what? I don't know. How about Thor and I work out the details? Better yet, how about I work it out with Loki? I just can't . . ."

The human shook his head, clearly baffled and frustrated. Odin held his thoughts on the matter. Thor, on the other hand, was disgruntled. Then Stark continued.

"Thanks. I appreciate the offer. I really do. I'm just . . . not that worried about Stark Tower. It can always be rebuilt, you know? It's a thing. People died out there during the attack. It might not have been a whole helluva lot of people, but they still died. They can't be replaced. Things can."

Odin nodded. This he knew and understood as well. Loki's atonement was far off, indeed, and he'd already planned on his sons being away for some time.

"Then I will leave that conversation to you and to Loki," he replied. They reached the same open area at the top of the building. Odin strode forward by himself until he stood in the center. Thor held back along with Stark. "I wish you – all of you – good fortune in the upcoming days. Heimdall, if you will please."

Bright light shimmered around him and enveloped him, taking him back to Asgård. As he returned home, he murmured, "And may all of you have the best of luck. We're all going to need it ere too long."

xXx-Loki's-Exile-xXx

Loki waited for the Allfather and Thor to leave the deafeningly silent room before venturing to stand up. Certain needs were making themselves known to him, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out before bursting. No matter what he did at this point, his actions were certain to be scrutinized by the humans and Thor's happy band of oafs alike. To try and slip away quietly, however, would increase their suspicions tenfold.

For a moment, he entertained the looks on their faces if he told them he needed to relieve his bladder. Red faces on nearly all of them almost sent a giggle coursing through him, but he bit it back. Laughter was not about to make his situation any better, either. Still, he saw no need to be grand about what he was doing. They were bodily functions, after all.

He stretched a little then glanced about, wondering which of the doors would lead him to either the outside or to the nearest bathroom. If he recalled correctly from his failed invasion attempt, humans no longer ducked behind trees or bushes but instead used what they called a toilet or a urinal to empty their bladders.

'May as well take a chance,' he mused with a mental shrug of his shoulders. He headed for the nearest one.

"And where do you think you're going, Loki?" Sif demanded.

Loki rolled his eyes then peered over his shoulder.

"I find myself," he drawled out, "in need of urinating, as the mortals would say, Lady Sif. Now, I could do so here or I can find what the humans call a toilet and do so there. Which is your pleasure?"

Her face, like the one known as Captain America, became bright red. The Black Widow simply raised an eyebrow at him, as if bemused.

"You didn't need to announce that to everyone," Barton chided, sounding disgusted to Loki's hearing.

"Well, she asked. Since my actions are to be undoubtedly scrutinized and questioned from this point onwards, I see no point in dealing with pleasantries or even proper etiquette," Loki replied smoothly. "So I ask Lady Sif once more on which is her pleasure on the matter."

"Go," she growled out. "But do not take too long."

"There's a bathroom at the end of the hall," the beast disguised as a man murmured. "On the right-hand side. Door should be open so you can't miss it."

"Thank you, doctor," Loki said then waltzed out of the room. Once out of it and closer to the said bathroom, his shoulders sagged, and he exhaled a ragged breath. He ran a finger through his hair and resisted the urge to yank on it.

'What was I thinking?' he berated himself. 'A year in the dungeons would be less torturous than this. I wonder if it would be too late to tell the Allfather I've changed my mind. At least then I could still try and rile the Einherjar up, despite his orders.'

For a moment, the idea of being in solitary confinement no longer sounded as horrible as it had when Odin first told him of his options. Then he chased the idea out. Without books, without something to keep his mind occupied, he knew he'd be bored within an hour and seeking escape. He wouldn't last a week with no contact from anyone, and the Allfather had made it clear he knew this about Loki as well. Though he was without his magic, at least he retained the ability to move about where he wished and to find some way to keep himself entertained.

He located the bathroom fairly quickly and went about his business. When he finished and stepped out, he paused in front of a large window and stared out at the city he'd tried to conquer within the last two weeks.

Many of the structures were damaged but stood as tall as they had before he'd led the Chitauri to Earth. Some of the buildings were gone, smoldering heaps, and humans worked to remove the debris.

Guilt stabbed Loki in the heart. He placed a hand on the glass.

Once upon a time, he'd loved coming to Midgård, loved roaming through the tall trees and conversing with the humans. Their resilience to their circumstances had always impressed him, but his time on the realm had always been limited, either because Odin had dictated it to be so (and such times were rare indeed when he shortened Loki's stay amongst the humans) or because Thor had dictated it to be so (which was often and when Loki wasn't traveling by himself, which was also often).

What had happened to change all of that?

He shook away his reveries and strode down the hall. If he tarried too long, someone was bound to come looking for him, and he wanted to be out of sight when that happened. Curiosity ate into him, and there was information he sought. Stark, he knew, had a library, and, during his last and disastrous visit to Midgård, he'd learned how to use a computer. He had not, however, done what he'd wished to do at that time, thanks to the Other's time constraints upon him. He thirsted for knowledge, but if he remained close to Thor and his friends, he'd never learn what he wanted to know, and he wanted to make the most out of this situation before the Allfather changed his mind and dragged him back to Asgård. A tiny voice whispered that Odin would do no such thing, that, despite the lies about his heritage, the Allfather had always been true to his word. He wouldn't retrieve Loki without good cause, but the trickster god had never been fully trusting of anyone, not after . . .

He shook his head of his morose thoughts and ducked into the nearest room that held a vast number of tomes. There were also a couple of computers. Loki found one hidden in the furthest reaches and settled himself in.

"Let's see," he murmured. "What do I want to know the most about? Oh, of course. What have the humans retained about Asgård?"

He circumvented Stark's security protocols in a short time and had unlimited access to the internet at large.

"Google is supposed to be my friend," he muttered. "So how did Barton say I could find Google again? Ah yes."

It didn't take him long to figure out how to get to the search engine, either, after some trial and error – his fingers flew fast over the keys, causing a few misspelled words – but, in moments he stared at a blank page, a little line blinking at him as it waited for him to type in his query.

"Let's see," he murmured, leaning in closer to the screen. "Where shall I start when it comes to the myths? Odin? Thor? Myself? I didn't have much time to delve deeply into much of anything the last time I was here. Hrmm . . ." He tapped his fingers on the desk, trying to decide which would yield him the most interesting of results. "Myself it is then."

The results were almost instant. There were, of course, the stories about the battle in New York City. Fuzz images of himself flying around on a Chitauri vessel were the most prominent. Yet no one knew it was truly him. There were only mere speculations on the man leading the invasion, and most of the pictures were blurred, poor quality. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s officials somehow kept a great deal hidden, despite his obvious attempts of being quite out there.

"Boring," he muttered. He continued to scroll through the results, hardly paying much attention in some cases. "Been there, done that, as the humans say. What next?"

He found images of cats and dogs named after him, which, as much as he loathed to admit, even to himself, left his heart feeling all warm and fuzzy. Some mortals seemed to like him for one strange reason or another. At least when it came to naming their pets, and Loki held a soft spot in his heart for animals, cats especially. Their rumbling purring often did him in, and he blamed it all on Freya, one of the strongest and most powerful warriors in all the Nine. Her cats often loved having him around, demanding attention from him when he'd been a child and on the occasions the Allfather had taken him to Vanaheim for one diplomatic reason or another.

'A lifetime ago,' he mused. Then he shook his head and chided himself. 'Focus. It's only a matter of time before Thor and his buffoon friends find me here. What else is there that I can find on myself?'

A few links later, Loki found himself on Amazon. His jaw dropped a little when as his eyes roved over the number of books that featured him most prominently. They were listed as fiction books, naturally, but they featured him all the same. _Loki_ by Mike Vasich, _The Age of Odin_ by James Lovegrove, and _American Gods_ by Neil Gaiman were among the many titles he found.

"What is this?" he murmured. He clicked on one of the titles to find out more.

xXx-Loki's-Exile-xXx

"Jarvis, where is Loki now?" Tony asked, irritated. He and Thor had returned from the rooftop, only to discover the trickster had left the room before their return with the excuse being he needed to use the bathroom.

That had been over thirty minutes ago, and almost everyone in the room was on edge. The Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were gathering their weapons. Rogers kept glancing back and forth amongst them, as if he were trying to read them and decide on the best course of action he should take while Bruce appeared to be in deep meditation. Even Thor appeared a little antsy at his brother's absence. Out of everyone gathered, only Barton remained calm.

"He's in the library," Jarvis announced after one moment. All heads glanced at the ceiling, including Bruce.

"The . . . library?" Tony echoed. He blinked. 'Did I even hear that correctly? Rock of Ages is in the library?'

"Yes, sir."

"What's he doing in the library?" Steve blurted out. At the same time, Thor let out an exasperated sigh.

"I should have known," he muttered. "If there is anything my brother cannot resist, it is a library. He can hole himself up in there for days with nary a care in the world."

"That doesn't mean he can do that in my library," Tony exclaimed, also exasperated.

"Jarvis," Barton said, breaking his silence and oddly calm, "what exactly is he doing _in_ the library?"

"He's using one of the computers," the AI replied. "He's currently browsing for books on Amazon."

"What kind of books?" Barton asked.

"Books that feature himself, apparently."

"There are books about Loki?" one of the Warriors Three exclaimed, the big guy. "Great. We'll never hear the end of it from him."

"Why would mortals write books about Loki anyway?" another one, the blond-haired guy. Geeze, Tony was horrible with names at times. If anything, he didn't look or sound nearly as disgusted as Thor's other Asgårdian pals. He even appeared relaxed, his sword making its way back into its sword-holder thing.

'Sheath,' Tony's mind supplied idly. 'It's called a sheath, genius.'

"Who knows?" the Lady Sif scoffed. "We can't just leave him there. Who knows what trouble he'll try to cause if we do or how much more of his ego will inflate. Which way is this library?"

"In the same direction as the facilities Mr. Odinson previously inquired about," Jarvis responded. "To be fair to him, though, he is hardly causing a ruckus. Perhaps it would be best to leave him be, if only for a little while longer. His searches have been rather harmless."

"They won't stay that way," came the harsh response.

Without another word, she and two of the Warriors headed in the direction Jarvis indicated. Tony glanced at Thor, who bore a resigned expression on his face.

"I take it this is all normal?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Indeed, my friends, it is," Thor replied. "My apologies, but I should accompany them in bringing Loki back. If I do not, it could turn ugly. Loki can be difficult, even in the best of moods."

He, too, left the room, and the final Warrior joined him. Tony glanced at the rest of the Avengers.

"What just happened here?" he asked, confused and feeling a bit guilty. A part of him sympathized with Loki, much to his dismay and chagrin. The last thing he wanted was to feel anything other than loathing and hatred for the would-be dictator, but to have people who didn't understand what he was doing interrupt something to vital to him, well, he'd be lying to himself if he said he understood why anyone would want to be that cold and callous as to interrupt someone else's research. While he agreed that Loki _could_ get himself into some mischief by doing research, it was also not lost on him that Loki was being quiet and _behaving_.

"I think I'm going to tag along," Bruce murmured. "Make sure that things don't get too out of hand." He hurried after the group, a worried expression on his face.

"I daresay," Natasha said, finding a place to sit, "that Sif and two of the Warriors Three are not happy with Loki's punishment."

"I can't say that I am, either," Tony said. He wandered over to his bar and poured himself some bourbon. "Yet here we are. And why did he put _you_ in charge of Loki?" He glanced pointedly at Clint. "That seems like he's asking for trouble on Loki's part."

"I made a different call once," Barton replied. "If I had to wager, Odin is hoping I do the same thing with Loki."

"After what he did to you, though?" Steve asked.

"Probably because of what he did to me," the archer answered. He shrugged. "We all have our issues with Loki. We didn't want him back here, yet here he is. I wonder why, and, in all honesty, we're not going to find out much if we act like assholes to Loki." He paused for a moment. "Jarvis, what books about himself did Loki find?"

"Primarily fictional stories, sir," Jarvis responded. "Neil Gaiman and James Lovegrove were among the authors he found."

"What are you thinking?" Steve asked. Tony watched the archer and waited for his reply.

"I'm going to do what Odin asked of me," Barton answered. "I'm going to handle him. Tony, are those authors in your library?"

"Maybe." He shrugged then took a swig of his drink. "It's hard to say what Pepper has or hasn't added. I do know it's usually collector's items, hard to find editions, and the like. Why? What are you thinking about doing with Loki here?"

"Yes, Agent Barton," another voice interjected. Nick Fury finally entered the room. "What are you thinking? And why are you the one deciding what is to be done with Loki?"

"Odin placed Clint here in charge of handling Loki," Tony said, gesturing at the archer. "Somehow believes that might be best."

"Oh really?" Nick raised an eyebrow at this. "And here the World Security Council and I were just discussing that ourselves. We feel someone else's touch might be better in this case."

"With all due respect, sir," Natasha interjected, "out of everyone here, Clint is probably the best one to handle Loki, and you damned well know why."

"It isn't your call to make, Romanov," Fury stated.

All of the talk buzzed around Tony's head, and he pressed his bourbon back to his lips. Normally, he wouldn't have hesitated to add fuel to the fire – anything to get under Fury's skin was a bonus in his book – but there was simply too much going on around him for him to process. The conversation between Clint, Natasha, and Fury grounded to a halt as shouting erupted in the main hallway and drew closer to them.

In a matter of moments, all six of the Asgårdians entered the room with Bruce right in the middle of them, specifically between Loki and the rest of them. It took Tony a scant second to realize that the mild-mannered scientist had probably done so in order to keep the fighting from getting out of hand. Both Loki and Thor shouted at each other – and the insults coming from the trickster's mouth were so spectacular and foul, Tony thought his ears were going to bleed – yet neither one of them raised a hand against each other, not with Bruce between them. Thor even kept himself between his friends and Bruce.

Tony marveled for a moment at the restraint displayed by the two brothers but only for a moment. Then he, like the rest of the Avengers, surged towards the group in an effort to break the fighting. Natasha and Barton managed to squeeze in between Loki and Bruce and successfully draw the dark-haired man away from the group and out of the room while Rogers approached Thor and did what he could to redirect him, and the other four, to something else. Tony stared at Bruce.

"You okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Bruce drawled out. "I'm fine." He glanced at the retreating forms of Thor and his friends. "Though I daresay this has to be a rather common occurrence." He shook his head. "In a way, I understand them not wanting Loki to have access to too much information. Look at what he managed to do to us before the invasion. And yet . . ."

"And yet what?" Fury asked. "What exactly was Loki doing out of the room and out of sight in the first place?"

"Well, first of all, no one wanted to accompany him to the bathroom," Tony said. He gave Fury a dubious stare. "Unless you would have?"

"Given that Odin was quite clear he wouldn't tolerate any of us mistreating his son, no," Fury stated, narrowing his good eye at Tony. "But a bathroom break doesn't turn into a fight. What else was Loki doing?"

"He managed to get onto a computer and do some web browsing," Bruce said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And all harmless research, too, according to Jarvis. When we got in there, he was reading an ebook sample of _American Gods_ by Neil Gaimain. He seemed quite interested in it, too."

"That still doesn't explain," Fury began.

"Because the moment we entered the room, the fighting started. Thor and Sif were the first ones to demand to know what Loki thought he was doing," Bruce interjected, now looking slightly irritated. Tony clasped him by the shoulder. The scientist took in a deep, calming breath. "And Loki . . . Loki looked he'd expected such a thing to happen. He even got up from the computer, stating it was nothing of importance. Not a single one of them could leave it alone, either."

"You're saying he would have left the room quietly?" Fury shook his head. "We all know how that turned out the last time."

"Except this time he doesn't have his magic," Tony stated, "or so Odin said."

"He still has his wits about him, and he can still turn everyone here against each other," Fury pointed out. "Daddy dearest made it quite clear we're not even to try to deceive Loki. I need to make a phone call. You will not be able to handle Loki by yourselves. Even Barton could have a tough time with him being here, especially after everything Loki put him through."

"And who do you plan on calling?" Tony said, almost glibly. "The Ghostbusters?"

"No." Fury stared at him. "Super Nanny."

"What?" It was Tony's turn to narrow his eyes at the director. A wave of turmoil rolled through him at the mention of those words. He only knew of one person who liked to watch Super Nanny, and Loki had killed him without a second thought, without any remorse.

"I'll be back in a few hours," the man said. Before Tony could lunge at him and demand anything else, Fury stepped onto the elevator, the doors closing behind him.

"What's that all about?" Bruce asked.

"I'm not sure I want to know." Tony stared at the door, his chest heaving a little. "Maybe he's actually going to get Super Nanny here. Who knows? In the meantime, I better let Pepper know about our new arrivals."

"Sounds like a good idea," Bruce agreed. "And maybe we should come up with some ground rules. Just in case."

"Might I also suggest the proper attire for our Asgårdian guests, sir?" Jarvis supplied.

"Sure thing, Jarv," Tony said. "Get on it."

"As you wish, sir."

"By the way, before I forget," Bruce said, "where is Loki?"

"With Agents Barton and Romanov in one of the recreational rooms."

"And the others?" Tony picked up one of his tablets.

"In the gym, watching Captain Rogers spar with the one known as Fandral."

"Good," Tony muttered. "Keep me posted on when everyone is calmed down. And I want the video conversation Odin had with the council and Fury."

"Will do, sir. Shall I also get the books Mr. Odinson was interested in reading?"

"Get with Barton on that. I think he has something in mind, but I can't be sure."

Tony blew out a breath. Life had always been complicated, but Loki returning, rather forcibly, to Earth sent another monkey wrench into the works. There was more not being said. That much Tony knew and understood.

"And I can't do the equation if I don't have all of the variables," he muttered under his breath. "What is so important to Odin that he would bring his son back here when most everyone here wants Loki dead? And what is Nicky boy hiding from us?"

The questions lingered in the air, but Tony didn't mind. He'd have his answers soon enough. In the meantime, though, he had a couple of calls to make, and neither promised to be pleasant. He called up a name and a number, pressing the green send button to dial.

"Here we go."

xXx-Loki's-Exile-xXx

Clint found it rather troublesome that Loki wasn't putting up any kind of a fight as he and Natasha escorted the former would-be conqueror out of the room and away from Thor and their fellow Asgårdians. Rage coursed through the trickster. That much was certain from the way he clenched his hands to the slight tremor along his back, but Loki otherwise kept silent and kept his gaze straight ahead. Some time before, based on what Nat and the others had told him and what he remembered of Loki's orders, the same silence and compliance was what had led to the crippling of the Helicarrier. This sort of compliance was bound to be suspicious, and Clint glanced at his new . . . whatever Loki happened to be. Charge? Ward? He wasn't quite sure yet.

'I would say he's plotting something,' he mused darkly. 'It would be like him. Then again, he knows he's the same as me, as Nat, as any human. That's gotta sting like a bitch, too. How does it feel, Loki, to be powerless?'

A part of him detested the God of Mischief. Hijacking someone's mind and using them against their friends and fellow agents was beyond despicable and deplorable, and Clint knew he'd need therapy for who knew how many weeks, months, or even years to come.

The other part of the archer, as much as he loathed to admit it, felt compassionate towards Loki and wanted to help him. The scepter had forged a small connection between them, and, from that, Clint also knew he wasn't Loki's first handler. Someone else had been pulling the Loki's strings before and during the invasion. And whoever that was still presented a threat to Earth and to everything Clint held dear. He shook his head of his vindictive thoughts. They reached one of the many recreational rooms in Stark Tower, one of which suffered no damage during the invasion. The parts of the tower that had were cordoned off for repairs.

"Want a beer?" he asked, heading for the fridge.

"No," Loki replied tersely. He closed his eyes for a single moment then added, "Thank you for the offer."

Clint bit back a retort of saying, "Too bad, you're going to have one, anyway." Instead, he shrugged and said, "Suit yourself. Nat, how about you?"

"A Mike's hard lemonade, if Stark has it," she replied. She moved to the other side of the room, settling into one of the recliners. Loki chose one near the door they'd entered.

"Will do," he said. He busied himself with the drinks, all the while keeping one eye on Loki, who still looked rather decidedly ill. Whatever Odin had done to bind away his powers continued to take a minor toll on the trickster.

When he first heard that Loki was in the library, searching for books, Clint's heart almost burst from his chest in abject terror, shame, and guilt. He'd been the one to tell the trickster about the internet and what it could be used for, and he'd stamped down hard on the idea to rush to the library and bodily throw Loki from the computer. The relief that Loki had only done a search on himself and found fictional books remained fresh. He walked over to Nat and handed her the lemonade.

Tony had asked him what he intended to do about Loki, and hearing that the trickster loved to read had given Clint a few ideas already. Loki was here for atonement for his crimes, and atone for them he would. He took a swig of his beer, plopping down next to Nat.

"In a couple of days," he began slowly, "you'll be volunteering to help with the cleanup around the tower."

Loki simply nodded, the movement stiff. His eyes were on his hands.

"Nat and I will teach you basic first-aid," Clint continued after a brief pause.

"I know how to bandage wounds," Loki all but snapped.

"Nat and I will teach you basic first-aid," he reiterated. "Most people have already been rescued from the rubble, the ones who survived, so we don't necessarily need to worry about that. In any event, basic first-aid along with CPR and other life-saving skills."

"Very well," Loki said. He never once lifted his head. "And what else?"

"For right now, that's it," Clint said. The desire to punch Loki burned through him. Oh, how it burned with a fervor through him. Despite his proclamation, Loki remained calm and impassive.

'Easy there, Clint,' he told himself. 'This is Loki we're dealing with here. He's provoking me. That's all he's trying to do. Right? Right.'

He inspected Loki closer, a little calmer on the inside than before. If Loki could be cold, so could he, just not in the way . . . Clint narrowed his eyes and focused on the trickster's hands.

They were clenched tight, gripping the fabric of Loki's pants so hard, they were turning a slight shade of blue. They trembled ever so slightly as well, and Clint was reminded of the times he'd had to lecture his own son about some wayward thing Cooper had gotten himself into, something he knew better than to do but still did anyway.

'Dammit, why did I have to go and make that comparison?' Clint mentally groaned. 'Is that why Odin chose me? Because he somehow knows I'm a father, too? Dammit.'

"It won't be that bad," he said. "And you'll have a few days to rest up, too, okay? And at the end of every day, until the cleanup is finished, I'll have a book waiting for you. How does that sound?"

"Like bribery," Loki replied, almost a snarl, but he glanced up from his hands. There was a glint in the trickster's eyes, something Clint couldn't quite discern beyond the wariness he saw there. "What . . . what books are we talking about?"

"We'll work something out," Clint promised. "Deal?"

Tentatively, Loki nodded.

"Deal."

xXx-Loki's-Exile-xXx

"And how are things going right now?" Pepper wrung her hands as she prepared to step onto the elevator that would take her up to the floor where the Avengers and some certain Asgårdians waited for her. Natasha had been the one to greet her upon her arrival. A couple of pizza delivery cars drove away from the building.

The moment Tony called her and told her of what was going, Pepper had wanted to faint. She hadn't wanted to believe him, either, but his earnestness, his pleading with her to not be angry, to not overreact convinced her that he hadn't been joking, either.

"After the first fight between Thor and Loki, quiet," Natasha admitted. "Bruce and Tony laid out some ground rules after everyone had calmed down completely and could stand to be in the same room again. According to Nick, Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, and Jane's intern, Darcy, are on their way here along with at least one other person. I got the message just as I got down here so Thor doesn't know just yet. Foster and her team should be here within the hour."

"How did Loki take that?" she asked, her fingers tapping her upper arms. She hugged the small paperback she'd purchased close to her. "The laying of the ground rules, that is."

"He agreed to them," Natasha stated.

"What?" Pepper glanced at her.

"Surprised most everyone, same as you," the agent said. "When asked, he said it's proper etiquette. So far, he's been quiet."

"Huh."

"I must warn you, though, someone, namely Clint, decided it'd be a good idea to watch _The Mask_ ," Natasha said with a quick shake of her head.

" _The Mask_?" she echoed.

"Said it was a film about Loki. Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three were unamused, but Clint had that look in his eyes when he mentioned it, like he was up to something," Natasha murmured, smirking just a little. "In his own way, he's going to try and get under Loki's skin."

The elevator reached the floor in record time, dinging softly to announce their arrival. The only ones who even glanced in her direction were Captain America and Bruce Banner. Both men nodded in greeting to her, smiled even, but resumed watching the movie. Pepper glanced at the screen as the female cop crooned, _"He's a really modest guy, although he's the hottest guy"_ then turned her attention to the one person she thought she'd never, ever have to meet.

Loki Odinson rested rather comfortably in one of the large, overstuffed chairs she'd picked out some time before, his legs lotus-style. A plate with two slices of pizza rested in his lap, and he ate a third piece rather slowly. His eyes were glued to the screen, enthralled. The only ones who seemed to be annoyed with the movie were the four people Pepper had yet to meet. And Thor.

'If Clint is trying to get under Loki's skin,' Pepper mused, 'it isn't working.'

"Will they be watching another movie after this?" she whispered to Natasha. The two women retrieved a few slices of pizza for themselves.

"I think so," Natasha murmured. "Some of this is also getting Steve caught up on things he's missed over the last few decades."

Pepper nodded then found herself a seat next to Tony. He tilted his head in her direction, promptly draping an arm across her shoulders and pulling her close. They watched the movie in relative silence for the most part. Every so often, Clint and Loki fought back a laugh at something happening on the screen, but that was about it.

"A most bizarre film," Thor noted when the credits were playing.

"And annoying," the woman, who Pepper surmised to be Sif, added, disgust lacing her tone.

"With nary a mention of any other god except for me," Loki said. All heads turned to the trickster, who shrugged and said, "Well, they didn't."

And when Pepper considered what she remembered from watching _The Mask_ before, she realized he was, in fact, correct. No other deity aside from Loki was ever mentioned. And, if the movie had somehow annoyed him, Loki certainly wasn't letting it show.

'So much for that,' she mused. She picked up her plate, along with Tony's, and headed for the kitchen. She'd had her fill of pizza.

"Who is this woman?" Sif asked.

"Right," Tony said, scrambling to his feet. "This is Pepper, er, Virginia Potts. She's the CEO of Stark Industries, and she's my girlfriend." From the corner of her eye, Pepper watched Tony level a stare at Loki. "Hands off."

"I am a guest in your home," Loki said in mock hurt. "I would be remiss to cause the mistress of the home any harm. It is most rude and improper."

"It's my tower, too, and you still threw me out the window," Tony pointed out.

"Tony, there are times when _I_ want to throw you out the window," Pepper interjected, teasing a little. He pressed a hand to heart, the melodramatic person that he was.

"You wound me, Pepper. Anyway, Pepper, meet the Lady Sif and Thor's warrior pals, Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg."

The three men rose to their feet and bowed to her. Pepper's cheeks burned a little.

"We thank you for your gracious hospitality in our time of need, my lady," the one called Fandral said. "We are in your debt."

"It's no trouble," Pepper assured him. She jabbed Tony in his side when she caught his eyeroll.

"Master Barton," Volstagg said, "has said we'll be assisting with the cleaning and recovery of this fine city in a few days."

"What?" Pepper turned to the archer. "Why?"

"To get them used to interacting with us," Clint replied. "Part of it is Loki's atonement for what he did. For them, it's a matter of keeping them busy as well and to keep Loki safe. It would look pretty weird if he did all the working and they simply stood around."

The archer's logic made sense and so Pepper let it go. She also noted that Loki seemed rather passive on the announcement, and she wondered about it until she remembered what Tony had told her over the phone.

" _Odin . . . that's Loki and Thor's dad, by the way . . . he said that Loki can't use his magic, that he somehow bound the psycho's powers away. We can really hurt him, if we wanted to, Pep. It won't be a good idea, but we could do it. Right now, we're in a watch and see with him, and the horrible thing? I feel for him. He was interested in some fiction books, and the others thought it was some kind of crime." Tony paused. "I can't imagine that. I can't imagine anyone being so against someone else's pastimes like that. Reading is relatively harmless, right? I just don't get it, Pep. I really don't."_

'But he doesn't need magic to cause trouble,' Pepper told herself. She walked over to where she'd left the paperback she'd purchased. 'But just because he can cause trouble doesn't mean we should act like he's going to be cause trouble all the time. That's a good way to start trouble.'

She picked up the paperback – _The Age of Odin_ by James Lovegrove – and contemplated her next move.

'Here goes nothing'

"Thor," she began, turning to face everyone gathered. Bruce, Steve, and Loki, oddly enough, were in the process of cleaning up the remnants of their dinner. The three men stopped what they were doing to listen. "When I got here, Natasha gave me some news I think you might want to hear. Right, Natasha?"

"Of course," the spy answered.

"News?" Thor echoed, clearly puzzled. "What kind of news could you have for me?"

"Director Fury contacted me just as I was about greet Pepper in the lobby," Natasha said. "He told me that Jane Foster and her team were on their way here. They should be here in the next twenty minutes or so. We also have one more visitor on the way, but the director refused to say who that was."

"Jane?" Thor's face lit up. "She is on her way here?"

"As we speak, big guy," Natasha confirmed.

"That is most wondrous news indeed!"

"What's that you got there, Pepper?" Tony asked, finally noticing the book in her hands and tearing the attention away from Thor, though Pepper had not failed to notice the dark look that crossed Loki's face before he replaced it with an expression of indifference. The Warriors Three appeared overjoyed for their friend, but the Lady Sif did not. If anything, jealousy marred her otherwise beautiful features. Pepper glanced at the book.

"This?" she murmured. "I got this for Loki."

"What?" More than one voice echoed in the room, all in surprise, including Loki.

"For me?" The expression on the dark-haired man's face was one of absolute shock and disbelief. "You got something . . . for me . . . after what I did . . ." He shook his head. "Why would you . . ."

"Because I wanted to," Pepper answered, holding the book out for him. She wouldn't admit it, but she wanted to see how he would react to a single act of kindness. It was her own personal test of him, though she couldn't tell if he was genuine or faking his responses to her.

Loki gaped for a single moment before he seemed to remember who he was and where he was at. He crossed the room, cautiously, and took the book from her. She was about to drop her hand to her side when he caught it and brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the top.

"My thanks to you, my lady," Loki murmured. "The Man of Iron is hardly worth the attentions of someone as kind and beautiful and intelligent as you are."

"Hey," Tony exclaimed at the same time Natasha added, "This is true." A round of laughter from some of the Avengers followed.

Pepper smiled then said, "Don't get any funny ideas about me, okay?"

"I wouldn't dream of it," Loki replied. He stepped away from her, his eyes on the book.

"Sir, there are two S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicles pulling into the lower garages," Jarvis announced. "Dr. Jane Foster and her team are in one, if my readings are any indication."

"And in the second one?" Captain America asked. Behind them, the elevator dinged, announcing an arrival.

"My team," a familiar voice said. Pepper's eyes widened upon hearing him. All eyes turned to the elevator to see Phil Coulson, very much alive, enter the room and say, "Sorry, I'm late. What have I missed?"

* * *

Whew! Finally, an update! I apologize for the very lengthy delay in getting this up. I have been one busy gal, trying to get this completed along with working on the third installment of _Arc of Fantasy_ – _Ravensrealm_. And not just that installment but the fourth and fifth ones as well along with some old Star Ocean and Hetalia pieces. I'm getting there, my friends. I am getting there. I've taken to working two jobs so my time for writing has become quite precious, indeed!

Thanks for reading!

Here we are, at the end of another segment. Some of this was inspired by a conversation I've had on deviantArt in regards to a few things, such as Odin and his treatment of both Loki and Thor when it's come to their respective punishments in the MCU lineup. Some others inspired by listening to music in restaurants and wondering how Loki would react to listening to parodies. And, of course, a musing from a few years ago about MCU Loki and Thor watching _The Mask_. If you haven't seen that movie, do it. Everything noted by Loki is true! Parodies will come in a later chapter.

Oh, and Loki doesn't like to be predictable, either. He might seem passive now, but that will change.

A big thanks to my best friend, Kami, for her character insights on this. Made the story a lot more fun to write!

Finally, the books mentioned are actual published works. I'm sure most people are familiar with Neil Gaiman. I've read _American Gods_ and loved it. _The Age of Odin_ was also fun and enjoyable to read. I've yet to get my hands on _Loki_ by Mike Vasich. Will Loki find other authors who've written about him? Stay tuned!

ETA: I also have a favor to ask of people. If you happen to catch a missing or misspelled word in this story, leave me a review and the general location the corrections need to be made. I've done what I've could to catch everything, but I'm still quite close to the chapter yet to find everything.


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